Dr Dawn Carnell

My oncology training was at The Royal Marsden and The Middlesex/University College Hospital. My research (MD), sponsored by Cancer Research UK, and based at The Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, looked at hypoxia (low oxygen levels) in cancer and how this could be mapped histologically and using Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The future role of this would be to direct radiation boosts to radio-resistant hypoxic regions in cancer and to identify hypoxic tumours for specific treatments aimed at hypoxic cancer cells, translating to improved cure rates.

Clinical interests:

Within head and neck cancer my particular interests include general ENT and maxillofacial and in particular sinus cancer.

I have a particular interest in sinus tumours e.g. olfactory neuroblastoma.

I am the principal investigator for the PET-NECK trial looking at the role of early PET scanning to direct post-radiation surgery.

Within lung cancer, I treat all types with radiation and cytotoxic as well as molecular targeted treatments, and have a specialist interest in the rare tumour type thymoma.

Within head and neck trials, I am the principal investigator for PARSPORT IMRT in oropharyngeal carcinoma, COSTAR IMRT cochlear sparing study in parotid tumours and the PET-NECK imaging trial.

My other current research area is the utility of respiratory gating in lung cancer. This is a technique which can delineate a lung cancer in four dimensions, i.e. including time to follow respiratory movement. This has the potential to facilitate not only more accurate radiation dose delivery but to minimise side effects by reducing the radiation dose delivered to healthy lung tissue.

I also enjoy teaching and I am one of the lead clinicians for medical student teaching (the Head and Neck/Lung and CNS group)and contribute regularly to registrar teaching within oncology and ENT.